UXO - Unexploded Ordnance

A cloudy day in the Vietnamese Quảng Trị province. Phuong, a 19-year-old soldier, cautiously and tentatively scans the floor with a metal detector. He and 40 other young men are spending two years in a secluded military camp combing through the former frontline of the Vietnam War in search of unexploded bombs and landmines that still claim victims today. Phuong tells of his activities with an even smile, without betraying a hint of the grave danger he faces on a daily basis. Apart from the hazardous work and social isolation of the camp, the comrades lead a normal life: playing football, watching TV and dreaming of life’s big love. Julia Weingarten documents the day-to-day existence of these young men, caught between adolescent high spirits and soldierly responsibility.